GAME 4
Baldwin Rocks Deer Park
Nassau power Baldwin used its shut down team defense and a strong offensive showings by the dynamic duo of senior Shane Gatling (23 points) and breakout junior Jared Rhoden (18 markers) to shut down a fine Deer Park squad, 68-52, in Sunday's contest at the inaugural Tip of the Hat Hoops Classic at Adelphi's sparkling gym in Garden City. Deer Park had the early advantage as their star junior point guard, Darien Jenkins (23), and senior forward, Donnell Loussaint, provided the bulk of the scoring, taking an eight point lead, but Baldwin cut it to 18-14 as the first quarter came to a close. That Deer Park advantage disappeared quickly as Baldwin amped up its trademark defensive pressure to take the lead and then break open the close contest over the middle quarters. The Bruins' variety of presses forced turnovers which they quickly converted into fast break hoops during scoring spurts in the second and third quarters, and a 24-6 burst by the middle of the third threatened to be decisive, but Deer Park responded to cut the lead to seven. That was merely temporary, however, as the Gatling and Rhoden inside and out combination dominated, building a 50-31 lead after three. Deer Park launched a valiant, but eventually futile effort to get back into it in the fourth quarter, never putting much of a dent into Baldwin's insurmountable lead. Both teams return to their highly competitive leagues in Nassau and Suffolk, respectively, hoping that they will have a return match in the AA Long Island Championship.
- Jim Casey
TIP OF THE HAT
TIP OF THE HAT
GAME 3
Hills Rolls Over VSC
Hills West just had too many weapons for Valley Stream Central. Richard Altenord and Kian Dalyrimple got them off to a great start, and the Colts rolled from there, utilizing their suffocating defense to keep the Eagles from making any serious runs. Hills West wasted no time, going up 12-2 on Dalyrimple’s left wing three pointer and fast break baskets by both Dalyrimple and Altenord, and a Deven Williams three pointer from the top made it 16-6, but Jason-Patric Gordon’s right wing drive cut it to 16-8 as the first quarter came to a close. Gabriel Satterwhite opened the second quarter with a putback for West, and Dalyrimple’s right wing three pointer made it 21-8 Colts with 6:06 to play in the half, forcing VSC to call time. Jermaine Fraser responded with a left elbow jumper coming out of the timeout, but Altenord renewed the assault, driving down the right side of the lane through traffic and scoring, Matt Asenjo nailed a right baseline three pointer, and Altenord added a fast break basket to give the Colts a 30-10 lead with 3:40 to play in the half. The Eagles shaved 4 points off the lead on a putback by Fraser and a steal and fast break basket by Nico Serrano, but Cameron Jordan closed out the half with a jumper to make it 34-16 Hills lead at the break. Jordan hit a runner from the top, Altenord scored from underneath, and Asenjo added a fast break basket to carry the Colts to a 24 point advantage as the second half got underway, and Jordan’s baseline drive made it 51-21 with 2:26 remaining in the third quarter and Central never seriously challenged after that. It was 59-30 after three quarters and a 78-45 final. Altenord led the Colts with 19 points, Jordan had 15, and Dalyrimple and Williams 11 each. Amir Stevens was high man for VSC with 12. 1/10
GAME 1
St. Dominic Pulls Away
6’10 Kyle Young made his season debut and he, Patrick Kiernan, Collins Onyeike, and Dominic Cotumaccio led the Bayhawk’s balanced attack, leading wire to wire and pulling away from Roosevelt down the stretch for a 77-61 victory. Young caught the ball in the low post, turned and banked a shot off the glass for his first basket of the season, giving St. Doms the early lead, and a fast break basket by Patrick Kiernan, a baseline drive by Young, and two free throws by sophomore Collins Onyeike made it 10-2 Bayhawks with 4:38 to play in the opening quarter. Kiernan’s jumper from just behind the right elbow and Dominic Cotumaccio’s runner from the left wing made it 17-5 St. Doms, but 2 free throws by Jordan Armstrong and a three pointer by Stephan Vailes from the left wing cut it to 17-10 with 1:27 left. Onyeike answered with a putback dunk, and another putback by Kelly Ryan and it was Doms by 10, but a fast break basket by Latrell Hollis cut it to 21-13 with one quarter complete, and then a putback by Isaiah Mitchell and a steal and fast break basket by Vailes and Roosevelt was back within 4 early in the second quarter. Onyeike scored on the press break to slow the Roughrider’s momentum, and the teams began to trade baskets and free throws, but Kiernan bumped the Bayhawk lead to 8 with a left wing three pointer with 2:24 to go in the half and then the teams resumed the back and forth action for the rest of the quarter, with Danny Smith knocking down two free throws for Doms just before the buzzer to keep it an 8 point game at the break. Kiernan’s right wing jumper kicked off the second half scoring and made it a 10 point game, but Armstrong answered with a left wing three pointer. The lead grew to 13 after a fastbreak basket by Ryan, a right wing jumper by Onyeike, and a left baseline jumper by Ryan, but it was back and forth again for the rest of the quarter, and Young’s baseline jumper made it 56-44 Bayhawks as the 3rd quarter concluded. Roosevelt took a bite out of the lead as the fouth quarter got underway, drawing within 4 on a tip-in by Armstrong and a fast break basket by Vailes, but the 6’10 Young gets up and down the court very well, and his second fast break basket and then his three pointer from the top made it 61-52 St. Doms. Roosevelt was back within 6 after Armstrong’s three point play, but Kiernan’s driving hook shot and his fast break basket stretched the lead to 10, and then it was 71-59 Bayhawks after Cotumaccio’s two free throws with 1:56 remaining. He iced the game with two more with 35 seconds left. Kiernan finished with a game high 22 points, Young had 17, Onyeike 15, and Cotumaccio 14. Armstrong led Roosevelt with 21 and Mitchell had 10. 1/10
GAME 2
Kellenberg Holds Off West
Unheralded Smithtown West came into the game with a solid 5-2 record in Class AA and was impressive, battling favored and 11th ranked Kellenberg from whistle to whistle before falling 52-49. Anthony Degennaro put Kellenberg in front right from the start with a fast break basket off the tip, and a Ryan Wilkens left wing three pointer made it 5-zip, but Doug Levy’s putback got West on the board, and then Greg Giordano’s fast break basket quickly cut it to 5-4. Wilkens and Giordano traded three pointers, and the teams continued to trade baskets until 2:07 remained in the quarter, when Kyle DeVerna’s four straight free throws and a Cleevans Lans baseline cut and basket put the Firebirds up 19-12. Matt English's putback and Chris Crespo’s drive from the foul line shaved four points off the lead, and that’s the way the quarter ended - 19-16 Kellenberg. DeVerna sliced through the defense from the top and scored to open the second quarter, but another putback by English and the Bulls kept pace. Kellenberg continued to push the lead, going up 26-18 on Kyle Catanzano’s driving hook shot and DeGennaro’s three pointer from the top, but Gordon Shouler hit a baseline runner to keep it close and it remained a 6 point game at the half. Smithtown’s English opened the second quarter with a jumper from behind the right elbow, and the Bulls pulled within 2 on Crespo’s fastbreak basket and a putback by Levy at the 3:57 mark, but DeVerna held the lead for the Firebirds, scoring first on a fastbreak basket, then on a drive and running hook shot, and he added two free throws to make it 39-32 Kellenberg with 1:09 left in the quarter. Levy spun out of the low post and scored as the seconds ticked down, and the Bulls were back within 5 with three quarters complete. Michael Gannon converted a three point play on a fast break basket to bring West within 2 as the fourth quarter got underway, and then Crespo hit a big three from the top to give the Bulls a 1 point lead. Kellenberg quickly retook it on a basket from underneath by Lans, and the teams both missed some big free throws over the next few possessions, but English tied the game for Smithtown with a jumper from the foul line with 2:44 to play off a missed free throw and offensive rebound. Kellenberg went up by 4 after a goaltending call on a shot by Wilkens and two free throws by Steve Torre, but a fast break basket by English with 1:51 left kept the Bulls within striking distance. The Firebirds executed a perfect press break to go up by 4 again on a basket by Wilkens with 1:40 remaining, but Smithtown made it a one possession game, getting a free throw to pull within 3, and they got the ball back after a shot clock violation by Kellenberg and called time with 20 seconds on the game clock. Kellenberg chose to foul and sent Crespo to the line with 7 seconds showing, and he hit two clutch free throws to cut the lead to a single point, but DeVerna came through too, going to the line and knocking down both of his shots with 6 seconds left, and Smithtown could not find the basket in the final seconds and time expired. DeVerna led Kellenberg with 18 points and Wilkens had 13. Crespo finished with 11 for West and English had 10. 1/10
GAME 5
LuHi Defeats Boys & Girls
The Long Island Lutheran Crusaders moved out in front early behind Devonte Green, maintained their lead with a balanced attack led by Brandon Jacobs, Charles Manning, and Chris Coalmon, and held onto it for a 70-55 win over the Boys & Girls Kangaroos of the PSAL. Green got things started with a fast break basket off the opening tip, and Chris Coalmon’s two free throws, a fast break basket by Donatas Kupsas, and a tough power move out of the low post by Rojaye Campbell made it 8-1 Crusaders. Isaiah Forde broke the opening run with a floater from the right wing, but LuHi kept coming, retaliating with back to back baskets by Green to go up by 9 with 5:18 to play in the opening quarter. Isaiah Forde’s putback and a right wing three by Gianni Ford in transition brought Boy & Girls back within 5 with 3:18 left, but Brandon Jacobs answered with a drive and then Manning’s fast break basket made it 20-11 with 1:38 remaining and it was 22-13 at the first quarter buzzer. Kupsas went backdoor and scored to open the second quarter, but a basket down low by Dimyrie Sutton and a steal and fast break basket by Gianni Ford cut it to 24-17 still early in the quarter. Green’s deep left wing three pointer gave LuHi a 10 point lead with 4:05 to play in the half, and then Manning’s drive and looping shot from the left wing put the Crusaders up by 12 with 1:12 left and a right wing three by Coalman made it a 15 point game at the buzzer. Najee Scott opened the second half with two free throws, and Jamir Cheek’s three point play on a fast break basket and Gianni Ford’s two free throws at the 5:07 mark of the quarter cut the LuHi lead to 10, but Coalmon stalled the rally with a big three point play on a putback. The teams went back and forth the rest of the quarter, but the Kangaroos whittled away at the lead, and in the final moments Nehemiah Boone’s left elbow jumper off a long rebound and Isaiah Ford’s basket from underneath brought them back within 7. Coalmon’s strong move out of the low post closed out the quarter, putting the Crusaders up 50-41 with one quarter still to play. Jacobs opened the fourth quarter with a three pointer from the top, but Gianni Ford’s three point play brought the lead back down into single digits. Jacobs looped down the lane from the right wing and scored again, converting a three point play to put the Crusaders up by 12 with 5:03 to play, and then his aggressive drive from the top moments later put them up 62-48. Kupsas was fouled after an offensive rebound on a missed free throw and knocked down both shots shooting 1 and 1 to give LuHi their largest lead at 16, but Gianni Ford would not let them put the game away, knocking down a right wing three pointer with 4:31 left. The Crusaders dug in defensively down the stretch and didn't let the Kangaroos get any closer, with Green’s drive from the right wing with 2:58 on the game clock putting them back up by 16. Boys & Girls never seriously threatened after that. Coalmon and Manning led LuHi with 14 points each, Jacobs and Kupsas both had 12 and Green 11. Gianni Ford led all scorers with 24 for Boys & Girls and Isaiah Forde had 10. 1/10
NEW YORK HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CLASSIC
THE GARY CHARLES
